Board Games

With the flood of board games coming out it's nearly impossible to keep up. Even to play a game more than a few times is hard because of all the other games vying for your attention. I've played a lot of games. Here are games that I like a lot and why.

In general I find that there's an inverse relationship between number of components and how much I enjoy the game. I also like games that move quickly.

Innovation

Card game with tons of replay value. Every game is totally different. There's lots of room for chance and politics but planning still plays a role.

Race For The Galaxy

Another card game. Maybe I like because I often win. I just like how all the cards combine as the game goes on. It's not too complicated but forces you to make some hard decisions.

Merkator

I love the mechanics of the game and how they all feed into each other in a very elegant manner. There are only two things to worry about: resources and time. No extra complications. You struggle to fulfill contracts and it gives a great sense of achievement when you do. Planning is essential but very difficult.

Homesteaders

One of the best auction and resource management games out there. A much more fun development on something like Puerto Rico. There are many different strategies to win. The components are very attractive too.

London

May seem complicated at first but it moves quite quickly and while you need to make some calculations they are not burdensome.

Las Vegas

This simple game may be deeper than first appears. I like it because it can accomodate a lot of people, there's conflict and a lot of room for luck though skill plays a part. With a lot of people the dynamics become very interesting: do I spread my chances or concentrate on a small certain return?

Love Letter

Simple and fun game of guessing. Good way to pass the time. Probably more luck based than anything.